Life-raft.



J. P. SLOCUM. v 7

LIFE RAFT. APPLICATION FILED MAR- I, l9l6.

1,187,192. PatentedJune13,1916.

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1. P. SLOCUM. LIFE RAFT.

APPLICATION FILED MAR- f, i9l6.

1,1 87,1 92; Patented June 13, 1916.

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FFEQEQ JAMES P. SLOCUM, 0F IBAENWELL, ALABAMA.

LIFE-RAFT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 13, 1916.

Application filed March 1, 1916. Serial No. 81,516.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMEsP. SLooUM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Barnwell, in the county of Baldwin and State of Alabama, have invented new and useful Improvements in Life-Rafts, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in the construction of life rafts.

An object of the invention is to construct a life raft of that class carried by marine vessels which shall be simple, safe and cheap in construction.

Another object of the invention is to provide a life raft formed of a plurality of buoyant members provided with food and .water compartments so arranged as to be sustained against injury by the buoyant members.

It is a still further object of the invention to construct a life raft which shall include two spaced cylinders each formed of a hollow wooden member, to provide the ends of the same with closing members or caps, to arrange a rod to connect the caps, transverse elements connecting the tubular members and supporting a buoyant member between the tubular members, other transverse members being arranged upon the top of the tubes and secured by straps thereto additionally held by clamping elements in the referred to central buoyant member, while food and water compartments are connected with the last mentioned transverse members.

The invention further consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts set forth in the following specification and falling within the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view of a life raft constructed in accordance with the present invention, Fig. 2 is'a side elevation of the same, Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the same, Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view through one of the wooden tubular members and the caps therefor, and Fig. 5 is a sectional view approximately'on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

In constructing my improved life raft I employ two side members in the nature of wooden tubes indicated each by the numeral 1. I arrange to close the ends of each of the tubes with substantially cone-shaped wooden caps 2, the said caps being formed with reduced portions 3 that enter the tubes which contact with the outer end of the caps 2. Thus it will be noted that the ends of the bolts and nuts serve as protective elements for the opposite ends of the caps of the tubular members. From experience I have found that by constructing the members 1 of wood the same can not only be cheaply produced but provide buoyant members that are not subject to puncture or to injury which will tend to disable the same such as is common in the employment of metal tubular members and furthermore the said wooden tubes when arranged in the water will swell andaS a consequence cause the caps 2 to be efiectively retained thereon regardless of the securing elements, but, of course, the said securing elements are necessary to prevent the wash from the waves forcing the same out of proper connection with the ends of the tubes. It is to be further noted that even should injury be inflicted to the caps of the tubes the buoyancy of the Wood will still serve to prevent the,

sinking of the raft. Along the outer sides of each of the tubes 1 I arrange staples or other similar elements 7 to which are connected a flexible member such as a rope 9, the same having been treated. by suitable material to prevent the disintegrating effect thereto by the water, and each of the loops provided by the rope between each pair of staples 7 is adapted to serve either as a seat or as a grab hold for persons to be picked up by the raft or if necessary by'the passengers of the raft.

The wooden tubular members 1 adjacent their ends are connected by transverse buoyant wooden members 10, and arranged between these members 10 and the inner sides of the tubes 1 is an air tight tank 11. The tank is, of course, buoyant and has its opposite ends formed with clips or ears 12 which overlie and may be connected to the transverse members 10. The tank 12 is substantially rectangular in shape and is provided upon its upper face and adjacent its ends with clips or ears 13, arranged in pairs, each pair being in a line with each other and these clips or ears are adapted to engage with the sides and to be bent over and secured to the upper face or edge of transverse members or bars 1 1 which are also constructed of wood and which have their underfaces adjacent their ends formed with arcuate notches 15 to engage with the upper surfaces of the tubes 1.

The numerals 16 designate stirrup members which surround the tubes and may be let into suitable grooves in the said tubes and which have their ends passing through the wooden bars 14 and secured thereto in any desired or preferred manner.

The numeral 17 designates a water tight food receptacle and the numeral 18 designates a water receptacle. Each of these receptacles is of a length to be snugly received between the two transverse bars 1 1 and the said members 17 and 18 rest each upon one of the tubes 1 and upon a portion of the tank 11. The ends of these receptacles 17 and 18 are connected by substantially L- shaped brackets 19 which are likewise secured to the upper faces of the bars 14:. The front and if desired the rear of the life raft is provided with depending rope ladders 20 and one of the members 14 is formed or otherwise provided with a socket to receive the end of a mast 21 from which is adapted to fly a distress signal.

It will be noted by reference to the drawings that the ends of the members 14 extend beyond the outer sides of the tubes 1, so that the said members will receive any shock or jar incident to the contact of the sides of the raft with an obstruction and so protect the sides of the tubes 1, and as heretofore stated, the metal connecting elements for the caps protect the ends of said tubes.

From the above description, taken in con? nection with the accompanying drawings, the simplicity of the device, as well as the advantages thereof will, it is thought, be perfectly apparent to those skilled in the art to which such invention appertains .without further detailed description.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

1. In life raft, two spaced parallel wooden tubes, wooden caps closing the ends of the tubes, metal members securing the caps to the tubes, buoyant'members connecting the tubes, an air tight tank arranged between the tubes and the connecting members therefor, means for securing the tank to the raft, transverse members overlying the tank and the tubes, and projecting beyond the sides of the tubes, means for connecting said transverse members to the tubes, and means for connecting the said members to the tank.

2. A life raft including spaced parallel wooden tubes, wooden caps for the ends of the tubes, compressible members between the caps and the ends of said tube, metal members for forcing the caps into the ends of the tubes, said metal members extending beyond the caps, buoyantmembers arranged between the tubes at the ends thereof and secured to the tubes, an air tight tank disposed between the connecting members and tubes, ears upon the said tank overlying the connecting members and secured thereto, said tank adjacent its ends having spaced ears arranged in parallel pairs, buoyant bars disposed transversely over the tank and over the tubes and engaged by the ears, means for securing the ears to the said members, stirrup members straddling the tubes and having their ends secured. to the said members, and said members being provided with ears and receptacles arranged between and connected to the ears.

3. In a life raft, two spaced tubes, caps closing the ends of the tubes, metal members passing centrally through the tubes and caps, adjustable elements upon the ends of the metal members contacting with the ends of the caps, an air tank arranged between the tubes, transverse members overlying the tank and tubes and projecting beyond the sides of the tubes, means for connecting transverse members to the tubes, and means for connecting the said members to the tank.

4. In a life raft, two spaced tubes, caps closing the ends of the tubes, metal members passing centrally through the tubes and caps, adjustable elements upon the ends of the metal members contacting with the ends of the caps, an air tank arranged between the tubes, transverse members overlying the tank and tubes and projecting beyond the sides of the tubes, means for connecting said transverse members to the tubes, means for connecting the said members to the tank, water tight compartments disposed between the transverse members over the inner sides of the tubes and the ends of the tank and projecting above the transverse members, and means for securing the said receptacles to the said transverse members.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES P. SLOOUM.

Salt

Witnesses H. S. GREENO, C. G. DENNON.

Jopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

